Before & After: Taking a Garage from Chaos to Clutter-free

By Teri Watson

April 16, 2015

When someone mentions a before-and-after shot, it’s usually about some unfortunate celebrity who got caught without the benefit of makeup or a soft-focus camera lens, or one who went under the knife of a plastic surgeon who definitely is in the wrong line of work. Introducing a before-and-after celeb shot seemed like a fun way to start a discussion of before-and-after garage makeovers, including re-fabrication, new nashville garage doors and so on.

On a brighter note, Tailored Living® only does successful before-and-after shots that make you smile and say…Wow! Our design experts can revolutionize any space in your home with custom storage and organization solutions that fit your lifestyle and budget. In addition to installing garage cabinets and flooring, our designers excel at custom closet organization, home office solutions, entryway designs and pantry and laundry room storage solutions to make your life more beautiful.

But the focus for today is the garage.

The chronically chaotic garage

While not every single garage in the country is chaotic, it’s true that more are than are not. As an extension of the home, garages are not treated with the same respect as the rest of the house in regards to storage and organization. What passes for storage in a garage would never be tolerated within the house. As proof of this statement, let’s look at our first “before” garage. Although there is evidence of an attempt at organization, this garage space is totally underused and unsafe. The cluttered floor is an accident waiting to happen, and you certainly can’t fit a car into this garage.

This “after” shot is unrecognizable as the “before” garage except for the little Police car. Custom cabinets, countertop, Slatwall wall organization system, new lighting and a new PremierOne® garage epoxy floor completely transform this space. All clutter is behind closed doors and floor space is freed up so a real car can park in the garage. This beautiful makeover is from Tailored Living of Northern Virginia.

Vertical storage maximizes space

In this next “before,” the garage accommodates parking a vehicle, but what passes for storage is stuff ringed around the walls, and that floor definitely looks like a hard-working garage! A few open shelves store small items, but large items prevent safe circumventing of the garage; even the stairs for entry into the home are compromised by things on the floor.

This “after” garage builds out one wall with floor-to-ceiling cabinets and a work countertop with a Gridwall wall storage system for organizing tools. Cabinets were custom designed to fit around the stairs and the ceiling-installed heater while utilizing all available space, eliminating clutter. The PremierOne floor coating will keep this garage beautiful and care-free for years. Now this is a professional’s working garage! Tailored Living of Northern Ontario created this impressive design.

This “before” garage looks like new, unfinished construction. The half concrete, half stucco wall with a window in the middle presents a challenge to use the space effectively

Tailored Living of Portland/Seattle was more than equal to the challenge as this “after” picture shows. Again, working around the window and proximity of the connecting door, custom cabinets were designed to perfectly use all available space leaving window and entry door fully serviceable. Upper and lower cabinets and floor-to-ceiling cabinets surround a large stainless steel countertop outfitted with Slatwall that will organize tools and accessories for the work area. This wall of cabinets will eliminate clutter and leave space for parking the car, or for any other pursuits like a home gym, Man Cave, entertainment space or other use.

Garage flooring adds beauty and value

The final “before and after” focuses on the garage floor, to demonstrate how a new garage floor can immediately transform any garage. The “before” is a pretty standard concrete floor, cracked and pitted over time, inviting accumulation of dust, dirt and insects nesting in the cracks.

The “after” floor by Tailored Living of Portland, shows a Tailored Living exclusive, a PremierOne hybrid polymer decorative chip floor coating that is not only beautiful but:

Has a continuous, smooth surface

Withstands heat, cold and wet or dry weather conditions

Resists chipping, peeling, fading or stains

Is easy to clean; nothing sticks to the surface so spills can be wiped up

Is resistant to chemicals commonly found in garages, including gasoline, auto fluids and paint thinner

Tailored Living also offers PremierTrax® flooring--flexible, interlocking floor tiles. PremierTrax tiles create a durable, non-slip, resilient floor that can be customized to any design you desire. Team colors are popular, as is coordinating with custom cabinet colors, matching your car’s color, or a checkboard pattern as shown.

The garage is usually a hard-working space of any home and, with custom design, can become super-efficient. If you want to take your garage from chaos to clutter-free, call a Tailored Living designer today. Call 866-712-3404. You’ll be amazed at the “before and after” of your own garage!

Need more encouragement? Here’s what one satisfied customer has to say about their new garage: "We just had a second set of cabinets installed this past week. Our cabinets and wall grid went in smoothly and once again we are quite happy with the results. Our garage holds more stuff in a more orderly fashion and has stayed clean and uncluttered. Still the best upgrade we've ever done to our home." --Kai, Cupertino, CA